Dreamer
by AlluringMelody
Summary: Lily has had some realistic dreams about James Potter, come to find out he is not as bad as she once thought. A story of them falling for each other only in a way Marauders can! LEJP with hinted SBRL. Ignorable slash, please don't let it stop you from reading!
1. Chapter 1

**Warning: PG13, for adult content and may hint to a Remus/Sirius pairing**  
**Pairing: Lily/James**  
**Please enjoy this fan fiction. It is my first Harry Potter one that I wrote down. Constructive criticism is always welcome, for all my fics. Actually, this is my first posted fic ever! Please review and if you ask, I will turn it into a story. Thanks to my sis and my wonderful friend (she knows who she is), for reading it first.**  
Dreamer  
"Potter!" A girl's shrill voice echoed down the mostly deserted corridor, making it sound 10 times louder than normal. Her crimson hair trailed behind her like fire, making the few first years out cower in terror. Her green eyes were filled with malice and her mahogany wand was spewing out red sparks. Almost everyone had hurried away by now. All except 3 mischievous boys. Even they looked as if they wanted to be anywhere else.

"Hello, Lily. How are you this fine evening?" The second tallest boy said calmly. He pushed his long, sandy blond hair out his face. However, his amber eyes revealed his fear.

"How do you think I am Remus?" Lily hissed. Another red spark shot out of her wand, narrowly missing Remus's face. The smallest boy, with watery blue eyes, cringed and took a small step back.

"No need to be hostile, Evans. Remus here was only asking you a question." The last boy of the trio said, letting out a barking laugh to break the tension. He turned his head, so the light would catch his shiny, black hair. His grey eyes twinkled with amusement.

"Sirius Black, where the hell is your pathetic, daft, ringleader?" Lily growled.

"Hey Moony, have you seen our Prongsie anywhere? It seems as if our lovely Lily here, would like to see him." Sirius said, turing to Remus.

"No my dear Padfoot, I am not sure where our Jamsiepoo is at the moment. How about you Wormtail?" Remus said, grinning hugely. He had the decency to give Lily an apologetic shrug.

"No idea." Peter squeaked. His eyes darted between Remus and Sirius, as if begging them for an escape. This did not go unnoticed by Lily. She gave an evil grin and slid closer to Peter. She ran her fingers along his arm and dug her nails into his soft flesh.

"You're sure you have no idea?" Lily said in a sickly sweet voice. Peter shook his head, with a pained expression on his face. She removed her nails instantly, but before he could sigh in relief, she had her wand at his throat. "I will ask you one more time and you better answer honestly. Do you know where Potter is?" Peter whimpered and tried to shrink back.

"Ok, ok, he's hiding in the astronomy tower! Please don't hex me!" Peter cried. Sirius groaned and slapped his head. Remus bit his lip and looked down at the floor. Lily raised her wand at Sirius and contemplated which spell she should use.

"Well it sounded like you're in a hurry, so you should probably get going." Remus said, quickly. He edged closer to Sirius. Lily huffed and nodded her head, turing to walk off. Before she left, she raised her wand and silently stunned Sirius. Remus was at Sirius's side in an instant, and he muttered the counter spell. Lily could feel the glares in her back as she ran to the astronomy tower. Lily threw open the door and saw James sitting against the wall. As soon as he saw her, he stood up and dusted off his clothes.

"Hey Evans, nice to see you." James said,nervously, as he ran his fingers through his messy black hair.

"Don't you 'hey Evans' me! Do you know why I am here right now?" Lily roared. She was getting madder every second. It didn't help that this was the first time she ever broke curfew for something that didn't include head duties.

"I know exactly why you're here," James said, seriously, "you couldn't keep away from me and you needed to see my sexy body to help you sleep." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively. Lily snorted and looked at him. He was out of his uniform and had on a tight grey muscle shirt and loose fitted jeans. His shirt showed off his toned arms and she could almost see his abs through it. His gorgeous hazel eyes gleamed behind his glasses. Lily shook her head to clear it, she was obviously not feeling well. She sat down on the ground,all the fight had left her now. James walked up to her and sat down next to her. "Lily, are you okay? I was only joking."

"Yeah, I'm fine, just great, never better, in fact." Lily said, her voice almost histerical.

"Hey, you can tell me whats wrong. I know I'm an arrogant prat sometimes, but you can trust me. I would never hurt you." James said, soothingly. He pulled Lily to her feet and held her tight.

"It's just...I came up here to yell at you. I know you pranked Sev...Snape and it wasn't right. This time he didn't deserve it. Then you had to say something stupid and make me look at you. So then you had to go and be really sweet and I sort of want to, no. Just forget it." Lily said. She was so confused and just wanted to go back to her dormitory. James gave her no time to feel anymore regret. He had pressed his lips onto hers and she couldn't think straight any longer. He kissed her gently, until she pressed her lips harder onto his. She wanted to feel all of him and he wasn't giving her enough. He groaned and pushed her agaisnt the cold, stone wall. He nipped the bottom of her lip and she moaned. Lily ran her tongue agaist his bottom lip and stuck it into his mouth. James pulled away a while later, to place kisses along her collar bone. Once he found her sensitive spot, he sucked on it. Lily gasped, she wrapped her legs around his body and pulled his face back to hers. As they kissed, Lily slipped her hands under his shirt and explored his chest. She could feel his six pack and thought things couldn't possibly get any better. She thought wrong. James's hands ended up under her shirt and he caressed her stomach. His hands moved further up and he could feel her lacy, black, bra. James moved to...  
"Wha?" Lily said slowly, blinking her eyes. She felt the back of her head and a few pieces of paper fell out of it. She turned around and saw James grinning at her. To his left Sirius was lazily tracing circles in Remus's back. Remus sighed and continued to take detailed notes, but the sweetest smile was on his face. Lily turned back to the front of the classroom, Binns was droning on about some goblin revolution. Lily's eyes widened it surprise and her cheeks turned as red as her hair. It was only a dream. She had dreamed about James sodding Potter! She slammed her head into her desk and groaned. Lily hoped this would be the last time she did, if only this were the case.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello again my lovely readers! Due to demand by my amazing friends, this will continue as a story. You are all welcome to applaud. Thank you MellifluousRose for your kind words and for being my first reviewer! You all should follow in MellifluousRose's footsteps and review. This is the only thing that will keep me going (insert dramatic sigh here). Thank you to all other guests who reviewed. You all mean the world to me! I almost forgot, I only own the plot and several characters. If you don't recognize them, they are mine. Okay, I won't keep you waiting any longer, so here is chapter 2 of Dreamer. **  
~Chapter 2~  
Lily bolted out of history of magic, knocking over several Hufflepuffs. She could hear footsteps thundering behind her and she pushed herself faster. Lily ducked behind a tapestry and gave a huge sigh in relief. She was just about to continue on her way to Charms when a hand covered her mouth.

"Lily Marie Evans! You better explain yourself this instant!" An angry voice said. Lily winced and nodded her head. Once the hand was removed, she gave a weak simile.

"Hello Alice." Lily said, sheepishly. Her best friend glared at her and tapped her foot. "Sorry, I was avoiding the Marauders."

"Lily, you do that everyday, what makes today any different?" Alice said, exasperatedly.

"Alice, can we just drop it? You run off all the time when you see Frank." Lily said, hopefully. She nervously twirled a strand of her red hair around her finger. Alice raised her eyebrows and shook her head.

"Fine, Lils," Alice said, "you get your wish for now. You have all of Charms to tell me what is going on." Alice said, smirking. She flicked her medium length, chocolate brown hair over her shoulder and had such a severe expression in her deep blue eyes, that Lily was reminded of McGonagall. Lily couldn't contain herself and fell into a fit of giggles. Alice rolled her eyes and pulled Lily to their class. They sat down, in the front of the room, just as the bell rang.

"Now class, today is just a review day. Please keep in mind that these days will disappear in the near future. As N.E.W.T students, the coursework will become more rigorous. I believe that sense this is still September, you still may need to get into the swing of things. I will partner you each up and you may practice spells from any class. Good luck and have fun!"Professor Flitwick said, joyfully. He began listing names and Lily saw a piece of parchment flutter on her desk. She unrolled it and saw Alice's tidy writing. The girls quickly passed the note back and forth.

_What is going on?~A_  
_Not even a hello? Nothing is going on, let it alone.~L_  
_Lily, we never keep anything from each other. Do you not trust me or something? ~A_  
_Oh, Al, guilt tripping me never works. Besides, it's not that big of a deal. Go bother Mary.~L_  
_You know I hate it when you call me that! Besides I already bothered Mary.~A_  
_When did you do that? You did not drag her into this, did you?~ L_  
_Once you admitted you had a problem, I alerted all the girls. Planned a trip to the kitchens! ~A_  
_You are insufferable and will get nothing out of me. Plus, I am Head Girl. I will not gallivant with you all, after hours.~L_  
_You don't have patrol tonight, live a little. This is your last year.~A_  
_Bite me~L_  
_The house-elves have treacle tart~A_  
_Meet me at eleven.~L_  
Suddenly, Lily felt a yank on her hair.

"Bloody, ow!" Lily yelped. She rubbed her head and turned around. Sirius grinned at her and gave a cheery wave.

"Nice of you to join us Evans." Sirius laughed.

"Is there something you want Black?" Lily growled.

"Well, not exactly me. Prongs, the great pansy, was too polite to get your attention." Sirius said. James cuffed the back of his head. "Moony, James hit me!"

"Well, what did you do?" Remus said, pleasantly. Sirus gave him a hurt expression and clutched his heart.

"Moony, how you wound me with your words!" Sirus pouted. Remus rolled his eyes and stood up.

"Hello! I am still here!" Lily said, waving her hands.

"Sorry, my darling flower. Your beauty distracted me. I almost forgot that Flitwick paired us together." James said, smoothly. He ran his fingers through his hair, successfully messing it up even more. Lily snapped her quill in half.

"He what...but...no!"Lily sputtered. She buried her face in her hands. This could not be happening to her.

"Aw, come on Lils, it's not so bad. Pull your pretty face out of your hands." James pleaded. He kneeled down and put his hands on her desk.

"Sorry, Lily isn't home right now. Please leave a message." Lily groaned. She couldn't stand being this close to him right now. He pulled her hands away from her face. Lily blushed and looked away. His warm hands fit perfectly in hers.

"Hey, Lily, are you okay? Did I already do something to piss you off?" James joked, weakly. He looked down at his hands, which were still joined in Lily's. He quickly pulled away and gulped.

"You always do something to piss me off Potter." Lily said. She stood up and waved her wand. Her desk disappeared and James whacked his head on the floor. He gave Lily a dirty look and she gave him a crooked grin.

"Think you're so clever Evans?" James laughed. He waved his wand, whispered a spell, and Lily didn't feel any different.

"Ha, Potter, you missed me. Better luck next time." Lily said, smugly. She would never admit this out loud, but she lived for these moments. James was a worthy adversary and she loved battling wits with him.

"Oh did I, dear Evans?" James smirked. He conjured up a mirror and held it up to Lily. Her once vibrant red hair, was now a deep purple.

"Well lets see how you like this!" Lily chortled. She shot out a spell that turned James's messy locks, into a greasy mess. She flipped around the mirror and giggled into her other hand.

"Ah, I look like Snivellus! How dare you." James said, shaking his head. Lily raised her eyebrows and pointed her wand threateningly. "What I meant to say was that my hair looks like Snape's and I adore it."

"That's what I thought you said. Though, I still think you need to be punished." Lily said. Lily and James sent spell after spell until there was only 10 minutes of class left. Once each had removed all spells placed on them, they both slid against the back wall. Both were doubled over in laughter.

"And you as a badger, that was priceless!" Lily laughed, tears of mirth ran down her face.

"You could have turned me into something cooler!" James chuckled.

"Badgers are cool! Besides, you're lucky I turned you back. You were such a cute badger." Lily snickered. James got such a cute, hopeful smile on his face, that Lily desperately tried to ignore. After both of them had calmed down, James looked at her nervously. He pushed his hair out of his face and adjusted his glasses.

"Hey Lils." James said.

"Yeah, James?" Lily said, contently.

"I was wondering, did I uh, do something wrong earlier? I mean, I have really tried this year." James said. He looked so worried and Lily thought back. It was still too soon to tell, but James had been acting a lot better. They had formed a friendship in the middle of 6th year and he hadn't pranked her sense. Actually, all the marauders seemed to have grown up. They had already had several big pranks this year, but not one was hostile. Also, James had taken his Head Boy responsibilities very seriously. Sure, he was still arrogant, but less so now.

"No, you didn't do anything wrong and I suppose you have changed this year. Sorry, I have just been a little out of it today. Can you forgive me?" Lily asked. She looked up at him with her emerald, green eyes and James had to bite back a grin.

"I'll have to think about it Lily. A bloke can only handle so much heartbreak." James said, sadly. Lily looked so hurt, that he almost gave up on his plan. "I guess I'll forgive you, if you eat breakfast with me tomorrow." He didn't want to push his luck.

"I guess I could, but just for one morning." Lily said, after a while.

"Great, I'll see you in Defense later. Remember, meet me at 8, by my dorm." James said, giving her a huge smile. The bell rang and James ran off to meet up with the rest of his friends. Lily shook her head. What on earth did she get herself into?

-  
At, 11 p.m sharp, Lily crept out of the portrait hole, with Alice at her side. They reached the picture of fruit and Lily tickled the pear. It giggled and turned into a brass doorknob. Lily pulled it open. At once she was bombarded by little house-elves. Each wore a tea towel, stamped with the house crest. Once the door was safely shut, one house-elf began to speak.

"Hello again, Miss Lily and Miss Alice. Would Miss Lily like some of her favorite treacle tart and would Miss Alice like the mint ice cream?" The tiny house-elf squeaked. It bobbed it's head and looked at the girls adoringly with its large, tennis ball sized eyes. Both girls nodded their heads.

"Hey, would you have happened to see three other girls in here?" Alice asked another house-elf.

"Oh, yes miss. I will show you where." The house-elf said. It lead the girls to the table in the corner of the room. Mary was in a heated discussion with Karissa about the babbling solution. Mary pulled her curly, brown hair out of her face and rolled her light brown eyes. Karissa flicked her long, blond hair over her shoulder. She patiently tried to explain that you did indeed stir in thrice, but Mary just wasn't listening. Lily's otherwise friend Angela, was reading quietly.

"Hey Ang, what are you reading?" Lily asked, sitting down. Alice joined her and a few house-elves carried their treats on silver platters. When each girl had their dessert, Angela set aside her book.

"It's one of those adventure books. You have to solve all these riddles and stuff, to unlock another page. Once all the pages are unlocked, you have to battle a Spinx and you can rescue Merlin!" Angela gushed. She expertly pulled her light brown hair out of her face and secured it with 2 chopsticks.

"Angela, what did I tell you about those books! They will rot your brain!" Alice laughed, spooning a glob of ice cream into her mouth.

"Hey, at least I read. Can you say the same?" Angela teased. Alice flicked some ice cream onto Angela's black, school robes. Angela took out her yew wand.

"Scourgify." Angela muttered, pointing her wand at the mess. It instantly cleaned and she gave Alice a smug look. Karissa shook her head at the pair.

"Do you both always have to do this?" She said.

"Yes." Angela and Alice said, in union.

"So Lily, isn't there something you wanted to tell us?" Mary asked. All the girls turned to Lily, eagerly awaiting the tale.

"No, there is nothing I want to tell you. However, there is something Alice is making me say so here it is." Lily sighed. She went on to explain her dream and James's invitation to breakfast.

"So, I don't see the big deal. You like the bloke, it's not earth shattering." Karissa said, nonchalantly, checking her nails. When she looked back up, the four other girls were staring at her."What?" Lily's mouth was hanging open, unattractively.

"What Karissa means to say is, there is a fine line between love and hate. You both are already friends and you may be crossing that line." Mary said, quickly.

"They're right Lils. You have go stop being so blind. If you like him girl, go for it!" Angela said. She twirled her wand between her fingers, in case Lily needed to be subdued. Lily shook her head and began to mutter under her breath.

"Come on, Lily. Let's get you to your warm, bed." Alice said, soothingly. She squeezed Lily's shoulders and lead her to the heads special entrance.

"I'll leave you here." The others girls waved and headed the other direction, to the Gryffindor tower.

"Basorexia." Lily moaned. The tapestry of the dancing lions, fluttered aside. She was greeted to the sight of red and gold. As both heads were from the same house, it was decorated the same as the Gryffindor common room. Lily glanced at the couch, as saw James lying there. His mouth was open and his glasses were still on his face. She aloud herself a closer look. James was out of his school robes, but was still in his white uniform shirt, grey vest, and black pants. Lily thought for a second. James did look rather uncomfortable. It would be horrible if he woke up with neck pain. She would feel really guilty and then she would have a terrible day. So, it was only logical that she made him sleep a little easier, right? Lily conjured a pillow and blanket. She gently tucked the blanket around James, making sure he was warm. He made a noise in his sleep and cuddled the blanket. Lily couldn't suppress a smile. Next, she quickly picked up his head and put the pillow under it. Lastly, Lily removed his glasses. James's brow was furrowed and Lily ran her fingers across it. It smoothed instantly and James grabbed her hand. He pulled it to his chest and sighed. Lily pulled at her hand weakly, before giving it a big yank. She toppled over and crashed onto the floor. James stirred and blinked. His hazel eyes were filled with sleep and he looked around for the source of the noise. His eyes settled on Lily, who was frozen on the floor.

"Lily?" He asked slowly, letting out a huge yawn.

"Night James!" Lily yelped, running into her own dorm. James looked confused for a second, before he fell back asleep. Lily pulled her door closed and willed her racing heart to calm down. Once she could breath normally, Lily pulled off her clothes. She threw on grey shorts and a black tank top and crawled into bed. She felt herself drifting, but then heard a loud rapping at her door. Lily pulled it open and saw James standing there, wearing only red sweat pants.

"Can I come in?" He asked. Lily nodded dumbly and stood aside. "I have a question for you. Did you try to make me comfortable on the couch?" James gazed at her, his eyes betraying nothing. He sat down on the edge of her bed and patted the spot next to him. Lily sat down quickly and took a deep breath.

"Yes, but only because I didn't want to feel guilty about leaving you there." Lily muttered.

"Is that all? Why didn't you wake me up than?" James said, huskily. His breath tickled her ear and she shuttered. He nipped her ear and Lily whimpered. James turned her head and kissed her on the mouth. Tongues danced and lips bruised. Lily tangled her hands in James's hair. It was even softer than she pictured. Unfortunately, it still wasn't enough. Lily pulled at James' s pants and he got the picture. He grasped her shirt and yanked it off, doing the same with her shorts. Lily trailed her thumb down James's chest. He mounted her and kissed her flat stomach. Each touch from him was like fire. He pulled at her panties, until they were off too. He trailed kisses all the way down, until Lily sat up. She looked at him slyly and jumped on him.

"As if I would let you be on top." She snorted.  
Lily gasped and sat up in her bed. The sky was dark and she was alone. She threw off the covers and saw her body still fully clad. Lily crept out of her room and peaked into the shared common room. James was sleeping soundly, exactly how she left him. Lily decided that she wasn't going to risk sleeping anymore.

**So, what did you all think of chapter 2? I'd love to hear you guys! Happy Independence Day!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello again, my lovelies! First, I would like to give a special thanks to my friend (he knows who he is) for reading this chapter and helping me out a lot. Here's some more news! I think the warning for adult content will go gone, at least for a while. Eventually, I am almost certain, that the chapters will get darker. After all, this year is when all the cool stuff starts :) Also, please, please, pretty please review. It would make my day if you did! This is the only way I can tell if you like this or not!**

**~Chapter 3~**

James sat down on his bed, glancing at his watch. It was 8:15 and Lily was late. Sure, he was late for loads of things, but Lily was never late for anything. He wasn't going to sit there and wait for her to eventually show up. James rose to his feet and walked across the hall. He lightly hit the door and stood back. Lily opened up the door and her eyes widened in surprise.

"James, what are you doing here so early on a Saturday?" Lily asked, shaking her head. Her normally silky red hair was frizzy and all over the place. She had dark circles under her eyes and her clothes were wrinkled.

"Lily, what happened to you? Are you okay?" James asked.

"Thanks James, you sure know how to impress the girls." Lily said, sarcastically. James shook his head and pulled her to the bathroom mirror. Lily looked at herself and yelped.

"Now you you understand? Did something happen to you last night? It's not like you to forget things." James said. He had never been so worried about her.

"Forget things?" Lily asked. She though for a moment and covered her mouth. "Oh my gosh James, I'm so sorry! I just haven't been sleeping well. I'll clean up and go down with you!" Lily pushed him out of the bathroom and locked the door. James glanced at the door and walked to his favorite armchair. However, as he moved to sit down, something invisible attacked him. James was pinned to the floor and desperately tried to wiggle free. He kicked the air and he heard a yelp of pain. Sirius pulled off the invisibility cloak and groaned.

"Prongs, you git, I need that!" Sirius whined, clutching his unmentionables.

"Sirius?! What are you doing here, with my cloak?" James sputtered, in shock.

"Oh, well you left the cloak in the boys dorms. Being the great friend that I am, I just had to return it. Plus, I saw you and Lily together last night on the map. Getting dirty on the couch I see, congrats mate!" Sirius laughed, clasping James on the back. It took a moment for James to get over the urge to throttle his best mate.

"Padfoot, you idiot, I fell asleep on the couch. Lily was just doing me a favor. I remember her being freaked out that I saw her." James said, frowning. Come to think of it, why was Lily so embarrassed about it? He would have to ask her at breakfast.

"Was it a sexual favor? Did she take your..." Sirius said, but was interrupted when James punched him in the gut. Sirius looked so pathetic, that James couldn't help but laugh. "Prongs you're a pain in my ass. I don't know why I put up with you."

"Don't turn this around on me. You showed up in here, accusing me of things!" James sighed. He ran his fingers through his hair, in frustration.

"Accusing you of what?" A sweet voice asked. James looked over Sirius and saw Lily. She looked like she was back to normal, except for the purple under her eyes. James coughed and looked at Sirius for help.

"Oh, I thought old James here was corrupting your pretty little head." Sirius said, innocently.

"Sirius, I have known you too long to be corrupted by anything ever again." Lily laughed.

"I don't have to take this! I'm going to go to people that appreciate me." Sirius said, childishly.

"Well remember, bring the people that appreciate you to the pitch at 10." James chuckled. Sirius stuck his nose in the air and marched off. Lily watched him leave with an amused expression in her face.

"Why does he have to go to the Quidditch pitch?" Lily asked.

"There are Quidditch tryouts today. Have to fill in those spots before our game with Ravenclaw." James said. He offered Lily his arm, which she took, after a moment. They made their way down the mostly empty hall, in companionable silence. James pulled open the doors to the Great Hall and mock-bowed. Lily smiled and curtsied. The Great Hall was nearly empty. Even for bacon, it just wasn't worth waking up early on a Saturday. James pulled Lily to the end of the Gryffindor table. At once, James fixed her a cup of strong black coffee and Lily took it gratefully.

"James, this is nice. We should do it again sometime." Lily said, casually. She continued to spread jam onto her toast, without looking up. James couldn't believe his ears. He never thought she would actually, voluntarily ask to do something with him. Lily waved her hand in front of his face and James promptly snapped out of it.

"Sorry, flower, I was just thinking. Won't happen again." James said.

"I guess it was too much to hope that you would keep thinking. Guess Remus is my favorite marauder again." Lily chuckled. James's mouth dropped open in shock.

"Wait, I was your favorite?" James asked, hopefully. This day kept turning out better and better.

"Of course that's what you got out of it. I suppose you were, but you just lost that title." Lily said.

"So I'm your second favorite?" James questioned. He would definitely beat out Remus if she just thought about it. Lily furrowed her brow and pretended to think.

"Actually, Sirius is very funny. He is probably second and Peter is just adorable. That makes you last James." Lily said.

"That hurts Lily. Maybe I won't let you come to Quidditch tryouts." James said. He stole Lily's toast off her plate and shoved it into his mouth.

"Hey, I wanted to eat that! Who said I wanted to go to tryouts anyway?" Lily asked. She snatched James's bacon and munched on it.

"Guess I deserved that, but don't you want to come?" James inquired. He sat on his hand to keep from running it through his hair. It started out as a way to impress girls, but turned into a bad habit.

"I suppose I do. Shall we?" Lily said, yawning hugely.

"Are you sure you're up for it?" James asked, pouring her another cup of coffee.

"Of course. I just had a rough night last night." Lily said. She downed the contents of the cup and pulled James to his feet. This girl was going to be the death of him. When the pair arrived at the pitch, it was already swarming with people. Lily waved and headed off to the direction of the stands. Two boys linked arms with hers before she arrived.

"Morning Lily!" The boys said.

"Good morning Jared and Peter." Lily said. Not to be mistaken with Peter Pettigrew, this Peter was a 6th year Gryffindor. He had short ebony hair and gleaming hazel eyes. Jared was a 6th year Gryffindor, as well. His hair was a golden blond and his eyes were blue. Lily pushed them off of her, when she saw what robes they were wearing.

"What's the matter Lily?" Peter asked, a bemused expression on his face.

"You both are in Quidditch robes!" Lily gasped. Both boys looked at each other, raising their eyebrows.

"Yes, Lily, we are in Quidditch robes." Jared said, slowly.

"But when did you both join the team?" Lily asked.

"Well, we're not on it, yet. We're about to go and tryout now." Peter said. Both boys waved at Lily and she sat down in the stands.  
James saw two boys running down the pitch at top speed. He pointed his wand at his throat and magically magnified it.

"All of you, welcome to tryouts! We only have three spots open, two beater positions and our seeker. I know things will be difficult with Micheal, Alex, and Rebecca gone, but I have a feeling that we need this fresh talent. Those trying out for beaters, line up over here. Our chasers Frank and Justin, will attempt to score while you try to hit them with a few balls I charmed to fly around. You will not be using actual bludgers. I do not want anyone injured. As for those auditioning for seeker, the first one who tags our keeper, Amari, will get the spot. She will be using the disillusionment charm, so she will be nearly impossible to see. I will not use a real snitch. If you don't know why, pick up Quidditch Through the Ages. On my whistle, three, two," James yelled, blowing on the whistle. He could tell that the first and second years were still a bit wobbly. The older students, were  
excellent flyers. It was going to be tough to decide. After nearly two hours, James knew who he wanted on his team. He blew his whistle and everyone landed on the ground once more."Thank you, everyone who tried out. You all were brilliant and I wish you could all be on the team. That being said, there were only three spots available. Please give a round of applause for our new beaters, Angela and Peter, and our seeker Jared!" A huge roar came from the stands.

"Way to go Angela!" 4 girls from the stands roared. James squinted and saw Lily, Alice, Mary, and Karissa, yelling themselves hoarse. James chose only the best. Jared had tagged Amari, with only a half hour into tryouts. It was obvious that he was the right choice. All the beaters had hit Frank and Justin, multiple times. After a long while, it was clear that Angela and Peter were strategically hitting the balls. Their shots actually manged to make his chasers miss scoring. James crosses his fingers and hoped that Ravenclaw was flattened. The girls came running onto the pitch, with the marauders closely behind them. James saw Angela become engulfed by hugs.

"Oh Angela, why didn't you tell us you were trying out?" Karissa gushed.

"I didn't want to get my hopes up. I'm the first girl beater in over 50 years." Angela said. She couldn't stop smiling.  
"Well, you should be celebrating!" Sirius said, popping up from no where. "Party in Gryffindor Tower?"

"We'll be up in a second." Angela said. Sirius saluted and linked arms with Remus and Pettigrew. The trio dashed into the castle, most likely preparing for the party. Jared and Peter made their way to the group, a moment later.

"I am so proud of you!" Lily said, messing up Jared's hair. He gave her a dirty look and Lily stuck her tongue out. Peter made his way over to Mary.  
"So Mary, there's a Hogsmeade weekend next week. How would you like to go with the Gryffindor team's newest beater." Peter said, smoothly.

"Ugg, 6th years." Mary snorted. She marched toward the school, dragging Karissa behind her.

"Don't take it personally. Mary can hold a grudge for a really long time." Alice said.

"What did I do?" Peter asked.

"Back when you were a first year, you accidently turned her skin orange. It took weeks to come out." Alice said, smiling fondly at the memory.

"It's okay mate, we'll go together. Hogsmeade is the best place to pick up girls anyway." Jared said, patting Peter on the back.

"Oye, Jared!" Angela yelled. She was halfway across the pitch.

"Yeah?" Jared inquired.

"Want to go to Hogsmeade with me?" Angela asked.

"Sure." Jared responded. He shrugged at Peter. "Sorry mate, you're on your own." He ran to catch up with Angela.

"Or not. Karissa made me see sense." Mary sighed. Karissa smiled at her best friend and gave her the thumbs up. "I would love to go to Hogsmeadw with you." She kissed Peter on the cheek and ran. He stood there dumbfounded.

"What just happened?" Peter asked, shaking his head.

"That, my poor boy, is why you should never ask out Mary." Lily said. Peter still looked shocked and Alice squeezed his shoulders.

"You'll have fun, mate. Mary is a really good snog." Sirius said. He had come back down with Remus, to collect the girls.

"You see, Mr. Padfoot here has just said the most important thing. After all, it's the only thing he thinks people are good for." Remus said, moodily. Sirius looked at him, with a hurt expression. "Actually, I'm not in the mood to party. I think I'm going to the library." Remus spun on his heal and stalked off.

"Is it something I said? We just got back here?" Sirius exclaimed. "I'm going to go see if he's okay." Sirius took off, with the girls and Peter in tow.  
James smiled at Lily and grabbed her hand.

"Shall we walk?" James asked.

"Why certainly." Lily said. She squeezed his hand and set off. James was surprised that Lily hadn't pulled away yet.

"So um, wonderful weather we're having." James said. He wanted to curl up in a hole. Really, the weather? He could have said anything and chose the weather.

"Yes, lovely weather." Lily said. She cleared her throat uncomfortably.

"Sorry I um, I uh don't know why I am." James sputtered. He scratched his head.

"It must be nargles. I heard some Ravenclaw talking about them a few years ago." Lily said, seriously.

"That is completely ridiculous and you know it." James scoffed, nudging Lily.

"Well of course it is, but studies show that when someone says something ridiculous, it causes any awkwardness to dissipate." Lily said, wisely.

"Works like a charm. Now how about we go to that party." James said. The pair strolled up the grounds, their hands still intertwined.

It was now the next Friday and Lily had gone from bad to worse. The bags under her eyes seemed to have become permanent. She had nodded off in several locations, multiple times during the week. However, her school work was incredible. All her assignments had been done ahead of time. Funnily enough, James had never seen here working on any.  
"Lily, when was the last time you got any sleep?" James asked. They were both on a late night patrol. Lily looked at him with glassy eyes and blinked.

"What James?" Lily yawned. She stumbled and James caught her. He didn't move his hands away, until he was positive she could stand.

"The last time you slept Lily." James said. He was so worried about her.

"I can't remember. Wait, I think it was last Friday night." Lily said, slowly. James gaped at her.

"Lily, you haven't slept in a week! You really need some sleep!" James gasped.

"No, if I sleep it's not good. I can't sleep." Lily whined. She tugged at her hair until James pulled her hands away.

"Lily, please promise me you'll sleep tonight." James begged. He spun Lily around and held her against him.

"No." Lily pouted. She wiggled against him. James began to gently stroke her hair. Lily sighed and snuggled into him.

"Come on Lils. You really have to sleep." James said, softly. He hummed to her and Lily's breathing slowed. She had fallen fast asleep. James picked her up bridal style and carried her to the Head's dorms. He gently set her on the couch and smoothed her hair down. She looked so peaceful. James tucked her in and kissed her forehead. He grabbed a book off the side table and settled into the armchair closest to the fire. James really did try to read, but his gaze kept being drawn to her. Lily's crimson hair fanned out across her pillow, making her look like an ancient princess. James longed to run his fingers through it again. Her breathing was soft and even. James set down his book and sighed. He arched his back, stretched, and went into the bathroom. He brushed his teeth and pulled off his robes. James tugged on some flannel pants and went to check on Lily. She was tossing and turning. Lily cried something out in her sleep and her face was wet. James ran to her side.

"James!" Lily moaned.

"Lily. I'm right here. I won't leave. Please wake up! James cried, he clutched her icy hands and pushed her damp hair out of her face. She shook and rolled over. James pulled at her, trying everything he could think of to wake her up. Finally, Lily's eyes fluttered open.

"James!" Lily yelled. Tears were free falling down her face. She threw her arms around him and sobbed.

"Shhhh, Lily, you're safe. Please tell me what's wrong." James said, soothingly. He wiped the tears from her face. Lily nodded and took a big breath.

"We were down by the lake and some Slytherins came by. It started out with some insults, but they wouldn't stop. They ganged up and attacked you. It was like I was trapped and couldn't move. I tried to save you, but when I could move again it was too late." Lily sniffed. James held her and Lily nuzzled into him.

"It was only a dream. I am right here." James said, soothingly. "How about I take you to your room." Lily nodded slowly and James helped her to her feet. He lead Lily to her room and she crawled onto her bed. James pulled the blankets over her and turned to leave.

"James, wait. Can you please stay with me? Just for tonight." Lily asked, nervously. She twisted a strand of her hair and wouldn't meet his eyes.

"Stay with you?"James repeated, dumbfounded.

"Yeah, unless you don't want to. You don't have to." Lily said. Her face was as red as her hair. She looked so sad, but James didn't want to take advantage of her in her vulnerable state.

"Are you sure?" James asked.

"Yes, but if you don't want to, I won't make you." Lily said.

"I'll stay Lily." James said, giving her a reassuring smile. He pulled up the desk chair to the side of her bed.

"You don't have to sleep on the chair, I trust you." Lily said. James visibly gulped; this girl was going to be the death of him. He hesitantly climbed into her bed. Immediately, Lily moved next to him. She laid her head on her shoulder and he wrapped his arms around her. He could smell her strawberry scented shampoo. "James?"

"Yeah, flower?" James inquired.

"You won't leave right? You'll stay with me?" Lily asked, looking at him with her gorgeous green eyes.

"Always." James said.

**So, please tell me what you think. Love you guys! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Good morning everyone or should I say goodnight! Sorry for the wait, but I had major writers block. In this chapter I will be using the marauders nicknames when they are in animal form. I hope you review. Seriously people, please review. I'll post faster if you review.**

**~Chapter 4~**

James woke up when he felt the sun hitting his face. Someone had forgotten to close the window. Lily had fallen asleep with her head on his chest. James laid perfectly still so he didn't wake her. Her chest rose and fell in perfect rhythm. Though James loved Lily, he was never a patient person. Especially, due to today's event. He stared at the clock. The minutes passed agonizingly slow. Finally, after what felt like hours (but was only about 10 minutes), he felt Lily stir. She stretched like a cat and smiled.

"Morning James." Lily said, sweetly. Her hair stuck up in odd places, but James still thought she looked beautiful.

"Good morning, flower." James said. He thought it was a good sign that Lily hadn't kicked him out yet. Lily smiled, as if she knew exactly what James was thinking about.

"It's almost funny, how far we've come. Last year, I wouldn't believe that this happened, yet here we are." Lily said.

"We both have come a long way." James agreed.

"I wish I would have realized sooner what a great person you are. So much time was wasted fighting." Lily said, her voice filled with regret. James's heart soared.

"You think I'm a good person?" James said, disbelieving. He thought his face would split from his smile. Lily laughed at his expression; James blushed, looking down.

"You always were. Even if you were misguided." Lily said, giving James a small smile. "You weren't always mature, but you grew up. I wasn't ready to admit it. Maybe I was the one who needed to grow up after all."

"Lils, I was a huge prat. I just wanted to get a beautiful girls attention and went about it the wrong way. You gave me the push to grow up and had every right to be wary of it." James said, reassuringly. Lily gave him a big smile and tackle hugged him.

"I like having you like this." Lily muttered, her voice muffled. James tried not to die on the spot. Did the girl realize she drove him mad? It took all of the strength he didn't know he possessed not to kiss her.

"Would you like having me at Hogsmeade today? If you have nothing better to do or anything." James said, nervously running his fingers through his hair. Lily bit her bottom lip and looked at him innocently.

"Hogsmeade? Well, I think I am awfully busy today." Lily said, sweetly.

"Oh, well that's ok." James said, nonchalantly. However, inside he was highly upset. He thought he actually had a chance.

"James, you idiot, of course I'll go to Hogdmeade with you." Lily laughed, rolling her eyes.

"Really? This is fantastic. I know it is just as friends and all but wow." James said, beaming.

"As friends?" Lily asked, looking disappointed. James thought he probably just imagined it.

"Isn't that what you want?" James asked.

"Oh, yeah. Of course. Friends." Lily said, hollowly. James knew the sad look on her face was only a trick of the light.

"Shall we go now? I would like as much time as possible." James said, cheerily.

"James it's 9 in the morning. Wake me up again when its noon. Hogsmeade doesn't close until midnight. We have all day." Lily yawned. She laid back on top of him.

"Lily I have to be back tonight at 8." James muttered, guiltily. He really did want to be with her, but his "brothers" came first.

"Why?" Lily inquired. James knew it sounded suspicious. After all, it was a Saturday and James was notorious for staying up late on weekends.

"Just marauder stuff. Nothing to worry about." James lied, smoothly. Technically, he preferred to think of it as a half truth. It was marauder business, but it was dangerous, not to mention illegal. For a friend, risking everything was worth it. Lily furrowed her brow, looking like she was about to yell. James was highly taken aback when all she did was smile.

"I guess it's just Remus's time of the month." Lily said, casually. James felt dread sink into his stomach. She couldn't know, could she? They all had been so careful to guard Remus's secret.

"Come again?" James squeaked. He prayed to whatever was out there for her to be thinking of something else, anything else!

"James, you don't have to pretend. It's ok." Lily uttered, quietly. She looked hurt that he didn't trust her.

"There is nothing to pretend about because there is nothing there." James sighed.

"James I know. I have known sense 5th year." Lily said, comfortingly.

"So you know that Remus is a vegetarian?" James joked, weakly. Actually, that was sort if sad. Remus was no vegetarian and it wasn't a secret that he liked his meat extra raw. Lily actually laughed while still managing to look sorry for James.

"I know that Remus is a werewolf." Lily whispered. James felt himself shatter.

"How? I guess we just keep betraying him. It was me that made it obvious right?" James laughed without humor.

"No James, please don't be like that. I figured it out on my own." Lily sniffed, she looked very close to tears.

"Wait, before you said you knew sense 5th year. You don't treat him any differently." James said.

"Why should I? He's always been Remus. He will always be Remus. So what if he becomes a werewolf once a month. Considering the fact I'm a mudblood, it would be awful of me to judge someone for something they couldn't control." Lily said.

"Don't call yourself that!" James yelled. Lily raised her eyebrows. "Well you shouldn't. Thank you though. For being open minded. Thank you. Does Remus know?"

"I never told him that I knew. I didn't want to upset him." Lily said, sheepishly. James smiled at her, squeezing her hand.

"You'll have to tell him eventually. Actually, tell him tomorrow morning. Come and see him in the hospital wing." James said, encouragingly. Lily nodded her head, grinning. James wished, not for the first time, that it was him that caused her smiles. He went to stand up, but got caught on the sheets, falling on his arse. James's face was bright red. Lily, unsuccessfully, tried to stifle her giggles.

"Smooth move Potter" Lily scoffed. She reached out her hand to help him up, but he pulled her on top of him. He was looking into a pair of intense green eyes. It made up for the fact that she knocked the wind out of him. She blushed, looking away. James suddenly became very aware of the female body pressed against his. He was extremely grateful that he fell asleep in his school robes. Otherwise, she would have been able to see just how aware he actually was. He coughed, trying to reason with himself. People fall on each other all the time. It didn't mean anything that she made no move to get up. James finally helped Lily get off him.

"I've gotta shower. To get ready." James sputtered, averting his eyes. He practically fled from the room. Where on earth was his Gryffindor courage? James turned the shower on cold. Needless to say, it helped his problem. He wrapped a towel around his waist, throwing the door open. At the same time, Lily pulled open the door to her bathroom. Lily's hair was sopping wet, her towel firmly secured. James almost dropped his in surprise. They stood there for several minutes. In that time there seemed to be an unspoken agreement to never speak of the incident again. James took that as not speaking period. He thought his voice would sound like a 12 year old girls. Even moving scared him. He had to keep his feet firmly planted on the ground to keep from shagging her senseless. Of course, Lily would torture him further. She sauntered up to him, looking mischievous.

"You have blood on your face." Lily whispered. She gently moved her thumb over the cut. James didn't even register the pain or bother wondering how he got it (most likely from shaving). Lily took out her wand, tapping his face. All at once he felt very warm and very cold. When she ran her hand down his face again, she showed him her bloodless fingers. For once her wand was used to help him and not hurt him. James nodded his head in thanks, taking off yet again. If he would have turned around, he would have seen the lust in Lily's eyes.

James sat in the common room, waiting on his flower. He was wearing simple black dress robes. James had never been more nervous. If he messed this up there may never be another chance. Lily rounded the corner, her green dress robes complemented her figure nicely. Her red hair was in a bun, with several curls falling out to frame her face. James felt like the luckiest guy in school.

"Do you want to go now?" James said, tensely.

"Calm down James, it's only me." Lily laughed. James visibly gulped; this was becasue it was her. She gently grabbed his arms, pulling him toward the door. He barely registered that they were moving. In fact, he wasn't aware they had left the corridor until the sun hit his face. What was wrong with him?

"Shall we go to the three broomsticks?" James suggested. Lily nodded, slipping her hand into his. The streets were not yet crowded with students. James and Lily easily found an empty table in Hogsmeade.

"So, what is it that you would like to eat?" Lily wondered.

"Thank you for asking Evans darling. I think it's a bangers and mash kind of day." Sirius said, as he pulled up a chair to their table. Remus mouthed apologies, but he too sat down. James was very unhappy. He thought Remus was staying in today. Poor Remus didn't look well enough to stay out long anyway.

"That's great Sirius. Er, what are you doing here?" Lily asked, uncomfortably.

"Hey, you all are already here!" Angela yelled. She levitated another table and pushed them together. Jared came running in after her.

"Angela love, you came! Nice to see you." Sirius crooned. He threw his arm around her. Jared and Remus both stiffened.

"Well I'm gald you are here but Lily and I..." James cringed.

"Peter I told you they would be here." Mary said, rolling her eyes.

"I thought you wanted to go to Madame Puddifoots!" Peter exclaimed.

"No, I told you if you make me step foot into that place I would curse you." Mary said, as if he were a child. This was not turning out at all how James thought it would. The bartender took pity on James and Lily, giving the pair free butterbeers. Lily smirked at James, making a face. At least she found this amusing. Soon, the whole group had their drinks, chatting merrily.

"This reminds me of my date with Angela." Sirius said. Jared choked his butterbeer.

"Yeah. Your friends wouldn't leave us alone." Angela laughed, grinning at the memory. At least she knew they all were intruding.

"When was this?" Remus growled. He always got a bit moody the day of the full moon.

"Last year. After the date, Sirius walked me back to my dorm and kissed me." Angela giggled.

"I was an amazing kisser, she loved it." Sirius boasted. Angela bursted out laughing. The whole table looked at her in confusion.

"Sorry, that's not how I remember it. I recall it being extremely awful and I think I made a face. Not to mention awkward. You forced your tongue down my throat." Angela scoffed.

"Well it wasn't my fault." Sirius scowled.

"You're right. In that moment I discovered something about my self." Angela said, as if she were revealing a huge secret.

"And what was that?" Karissa asked, joining them. Her boyfriend kissed her, sitting down next to her. He was a highly attractive Ravenclaw, with dark brown hair and dazzling blue eyes.

"That I couldn't date girls." Angela chuckled. Sirius looked scandalized.

"Take it back! I am the most manly man there is!" Sirius exclaimed. Even James couldn't contain his laughter.

"Mate, you spend more time on your hair than Dumbledore does on his beard." James snickered.

"So, at least my hair can lie flat." Sirius teased.

"I like his hair how it is, very sexy." Lily said. James could have died happy at that moment.

"Anyway, I'm more into blonds." Angela said. Jared looked a good deal happier. James knew their hands were laced together, under the table. They made a good couple.

"Peter, I'm glad you're putting up with me." Mary said. Peter flashed her a smile. He leaned over the table and kissed her.

"I told you he liked you Mary." Karissa smirked.

"Didn't she say the same thing to you about Xavier?" Remus chuckled. Xavier smiled at Karissa, kissing her as well. James felt highly uncomfortable. At least Lily looked as bad as he felt. Sirius made a gagging noise, effectively breaking the couples apart.

"Oh Sirius, grow up. You've kissed plenty of people." Karissa said, rolling her eyes.

"Why yes I have. It only looks good on me though." Sirius said, puffing out his chest. Remus muttered something that sounded suspiciously like man whore.

"You all need to grow up." Lily laughed.

"Snippy today Lily." Jared said.

"At least I don't show the world public displays of affection." Lily joked.

"Hey, we didn't kiss in front of everyone!" Jared said, with dignity. Angela nodded her head in agreement. "Though it could be arranged." Jared pulled Angela to him, causing everyone to groan.

"Oye, get a room!" Sirius barked.

"We have a room, it's not my fault your in it." Angela said. As Angela bickered with Sirius, James leaned to Lily.

"So, it seems as if we're missing a few friends. When do you think they'll show up?" James asked. It really wouldn't surprise him if they did.

"Oh, Alice and Frank are in Madame Puddifoots. They were smart enough to know where to hide. Pettigrew is stuck in detention. I ran into him before I left." Lily said.

"Well, at least this is it." James sighed. This day was a disaster.

"This date didn't seem to go as planned." Lily said. She looked slightly dissipointed.

"Yeah, I suppose- wait. Did you just say date?" James asked, hopefully.

"Yes, I believe I did." Lily said, shyly.

"Well I guess we need a redo date than and I think I have the perfect idea." James said, smoothly. He looked calm on the outside, but on the inside he was punching the air. James felt like he could do cartwheels.

"Can I know what this perfect idea is?" Lily asked, sweetly.

"It's a surprise, but it will have to wait until tomorrow night." James said, grinning at her eagerness.

"Whatcha talking about." Sirius said, oblivious to what had just occurred.

"How great this day has been." Lily said, sarcastically.

"Yeah, it's been a smashing time. We should do this more often." Sirius laughed. He lept out of his chair, plopping into Remus's lap. Remus scowled at him, attempting to push him off. Sirius wouldn't budge.

"Sirius you berk! Get off me! Your arse is so bony!" Remus groaned. He attempted to push Sirius again, to no avail.

"My arse is fantastic. Don't be jealous of it." Sirius said, wiggling on Remus.

"Get this git off me!" Remus yelped. Sirius whispered something into Remus's ear, making him turn a deep scarlet.

"Is everything ok over there?" Peter asked. He had turned away from Mary, who was now in deep conversation with Karissa.

"Just brill." Remus squeaked. Sirius gave him a sly half smile. Lily furrowed her brow, looking at James, who was just as confused. James decided to do some investigating tonight. The full moon was a good time to see if anything was amiss.

"I would like to propose a toast. To Lily and James, without whom this day would have never been possible." Karissa said. The group raised their glasses, clinking them together. Sirius inhaled his butterbeer, surprising all but the marauders. Butterbeer wasn't really strong, but Sirius could drink firewhiskey like water. Tonight really wasn't a good night for Sirius to be incompasitated, he needed his wits about him. Despite his cries of protest, James ordered him a water.

"Does anyone want to come with us to dinner?" Mary asked. James glanced out the window and was alarmed to see it was dark out.

"Sirius and I will join you." Remus said, nudging Sirius. Sirius rolled his eyes, jumping off Remus's lap.

"How about we all go?" Angela suggested. Though James would have loved to be alone with Lily, he reluctantly agreed. After all, he had his real date to look forward to.

Madam Pomfrey had just taken Remus down to the willow. He was due to transform in several minutes. James was always nervous for this. Anything could happen to any one of them. The wolf wasn't always cooperative, sometimes using violence to show that he was in charge. The last full moon went well, there were hardly any injuries. He knew he couldn't put this off any longer. James grabbed the map, along with the invisibly cloak. Sirius and Peter Pettigrew looked aprehensive. They threw the cloak over themselves and crept out of the crowded common room. Their feet were visible under the cloak, but people were too busy to knowtise. Tonight, they ran into no one, making it to the tree with time to spare. Peter transformed into a rat, pressing the knot of the tree. He scurried through the hidden tunnels, with James and Peter hot on his tail. Remus was curled up on the bed, a blank expression on his face. Sirius ran up to him and threw his arm around him. The pale moonlight shone through the only window. Remus turned a sickly white and began to shake. Sirius jumped off the bed, turning into a shaggy black dog. James closed eyes, changing into a magestic stag. Only animals were safe from a werewolfs bite, this is why James, Peter, and Sirius became animagi. Unregistered, therefore illegal, to protect their friend. Remus moaned, breaking James away from his thoughts. James could never tear his eyes away from the horror that was taking place. Once the moonlight directly hit Remus, all hell broke loose. He issued a blood curtiling scream and kept screaming, even when his lungs burned. He hunched over, dubbled over in pain. His nails shot out, curling into deadly claws and his bones shattered. Hair sprouted over his body and his mouth enlonged. It felt as if Remus was melting, his blood boiling, his body reshaping. A single howl rang out in the night; the transformation complete.

_Moony stalked off the bed, to begin the full moon ritual. Each moon, the werewolf checked each member of his pack. Wormtail and Prongs checked out ok, though Prongs was scratched. Moony was in a bad mood and this was not a great start of the night. Moony pressed his noise on Padfoot, licking his muzzle gently. Everything seemed fine, until Prongs tried to start a game. As soon as he came toward Padfoot, Moony growled, blocking his path. Prongs did not dwell on this long because Padfoot did not seem to be bothered. Prongs snorted to catch Padfoots attention and Padfoot barked at him. He turned to Moony, for permission to play. Moony seemed to consider it for a moment and moved aside. Prongs nudged Padfoot with his antlers, beginning a game of chase. Wormtail darted between the larger animals legs, squeaking his enjoyment. Moony whined, scratching at the door. Prongs threw the door open with a throw of his head. The animals ran through the tunnle, emerging into the outside world. At once, Padfoot and Moony stuck their noses to the ground, sniffing everything. Prongs shook his head; he would never understand canines. Wormtail climbed up onto Prongs head and wrapped his tail around the antlers. Padfoot tackled Moony, panting heavily. They rolled around on the grass. Prongs attempted to join them, yet again Moony blocked him. This time, Moony lost his temper and snapped at Prongs. Padfoot whinned, but wasn't aloud to move forward._

The rest of the night passed like this. The group led Moony back to the tree, back into the hidden shack. They were lucky, the sun broke through, starting Remus's change back. It was just as bad as before, but now a naked Remus lay unconshious on the floor. His clothes were ripped away during the transformation. Unlike an animagus, a werewolf cannot keep their clothes intact. James, Peter, and Sirius had to creep away under the invisibly cloak, before Madam Pomfrey caught them. James stumbled into the heads common room at half past four. Lily rushed over to him.  
"James, I've been so worried! I couldn't find you and no one saw you and what happened to you!" Lily gasped. James winced, collapsing on the ground. His side was dripping blood, due to the three long gouges in his . He had never been injured so bad during a full moon. His face was covered in cuts and his arm had a chunk taken out of it.

"I've- I've been hurt worse." James muttered, his eyelids dropping. He suddenly felt very tired.

"James, I've gotta take you to Madam Pomfrey. Can you get up?" Lily cried.

"No. Not Madam Pomfrey. Please." James whispered. Lily ran to her room and took out her hidden stash of medical supplies. She pulled out the little bottle she was searching for.

"James this is essence of dittany. It's going to sting. I'm going to be really careful." Lily said. She pulled off James's shirt, dropping the liquid in the gashes. After a moment, they had raw, pink skin over it. She did the same with the cuts (which completely healed) and the gouge. The last thing James saw before he blacked out was her.

**So cliff hanger (insert evil laughter), will this temp you to review? Come on, don't make me beg.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello my darling readers. Please do not kill me. I know it has been about a month, but I have been busy. Summer homework, ick. This story is going to be 7 or 8 chapters. Than there will be another story in Remus and Sirius's point of view. It's basically a different story. This is for all of you who have wanted to know what was going on with them during Dreamer. That story is going to be a slash and will start being posted after this story is over (or maybe before, if your all good little reviewers). Remember how I said to watch out for one shots or short stories in between chapters? Well, in a day or two I will have up a short 3 chapter story about the Dursleys and a quick one shot about our dear friend Snape. Also, thank you all who have read Lightning Strikes. I'm thinking about making it a two shot, but I'm not sure. Should I, or will I ruin it? Here is chapter 5 of Dreamer.**

**~Chapter 5~**

Lily woke up on James's floor, having no idea how she got there. Once her hazy mind cleared up, memories came flooding back.

_Lily half dragged, half carried James to his room. She thought he was just waiting for Remus to come back; not sure trying to get himself killed. Once he woke up, he was going to explain himself. He looked so small, so broken. His normally tan skin was deathly pale. His breathing was labored; every once in a while he would gasp for air. James eyes fluttered open. Lily had never seen his eyes so filled with pain. He struggled to sit up, all he managed to do was lose the little color he had left._

_"James, please lay down. It's going to take you a while to heal." Lily whispered, gently pushing him back down. James blinked, compression dawning on his face. He nodded his head, going limp on the floor._

_"Tha...than...thank-you." James gasped. His eyes were struggling to stay open. Lily gave up on trying to move him on the bed. He was in too much pain to move. She sat down next to him, wanting to keep watch the whole night._

Lily must have fallen asleep a while after. She yawned hugely and turned her head to look at James. He appeared much better now, though the gashes were still an angry red and the gouge in his arm could tear open again any minute. At least he would have minimal scaring. Although, if he went to Madam Pomfrey he would be scar free. Not that there was anything wrong with scars. On the contrary, Lily found them highly attractive. James was sprawled out on the floor, with his shirt used as a pillow. Lily took out the essence of dittany, replying it to the wounds. There was virtually no difference in them. It was odd that they were healing so slow. Only a few types of venom could cause this. Lily got up off the floor, making her way to her bedroom. She pulled some gauze out of her drawer, along with some foul smelling paste. Lily walked back to James's room and tenderly rubbed the paste onto his wounds. The paste should remove swelling and clean out infection. She easily wrapped his arm tightly, but he was still lying down, preventing her from bandaging his side. Lily gingerly shook James, until he sat up in surprise. She quickly wrapped the gauze around him.

"Lily, whatsss 'goin on." James slurred, sleepily. He dropped back to the floor; Lily was unsure if it was due to weakness or exhaustion.

"You were badly hurt last night, I'm still patching you up." Lily said, kindly. She watched as James struggled to remember last night.

"I was hurt? Oh, what on earth is that awful smell?"

"Yes James, care to tell me how? By the way that smell is a herbal paste and you'll be wearing it for several days." Lily couldn't contain her chuckles, she was just so relieved that he was okay. He screwed up his face in concentration.

"I can't remember what happened last night. Why aren't I in the hospital wing?" James clutched his head, as if holding it would make his memories return.

"You told me not to take you! What is the last thing you remember?" Lily was slightly worried now.

"I remember everything until after dinner." James wasn't meeting her eyes. She was sure he remembered more than he was letting on.

"James, you don't have a choice any more. I need to know the truth." James nodded his head in defeat.

"When Sirius, Peter, and I found out that Remus was a werewolf, we wanted to do something to end his suffering. It took us an entire year to come across a solution. You already know that only animals are safe from a werewolf's bite. Well, in third year Sirius came across a book in the forbidden section. It gave all the details in becoming animagi. Sirius convinced us all that becoming animagi would help Remus, no matter the risks. We couldn't tell anyone about it or we would risk exposing Remus's secret. Once we reached 5th year, all of us could transform at will. I became a stag, Peter a rat, and Sirius a dog. Our nicknames grew out of this. We have never missed another full moon. I know it's dangerous but it's worth it for a friend. Last night, Moony was being protective of Padfoot and I think I got in the way. I don't remember much after he lunged at me. My memories will probably come back later." James looked frightened that he had just told her. Lily had never been more shocked in her life.

"Every full moon you risk your life to help your friend?" James shrugged his shoulders. Lily hit every part of him that wasn't injured. "James... you... idiot. You stupid, loyal prat! I don't know what I would do without you! Don't you dare die ever. Do you understand? If you are going to keep doing this, you can't die." Lily pulled her hands away from him and crossed them.

"Lils, as long as you need me I'll stick around. I don't plan on dying anytime soon." James struggled to stand up, using the bed to get off the ground. He took a few steps forward, though he held himself stiff.

"Do you need help?" Lily couldn't be mad at him for trying to help his friends.

"I can manage. Besides, it would look a bit suspicious if you helped me walk. Thank you for all that you've done. Wait a second-how did you fix me?" Lily blushed a deep red, turning her head. If he could trust her, she could trust him.

"Er-well. You see, um. There's a war going on." Lily had never been at such a loss for words. It was all because of her stupid pride.

"I'm aware of this."

"I thought it would be uh practical if I learned how to heal people. It's not like I want to be a Healer, but if I were an Auror it would come in handy. So I may of um borrowed some supplies from Madam Pomfrey. For, you know, educational purposes. They have helped a lot and I've only taken a few. I've mostly made them. Slughorn loves me, so I can use the potions room for as long as I want." Lily was so ashamed. She wasn't going to tell him at all, but it was only fair.

"Lily, you nicked supplies to further your education and help the war effort? That is gobshite and you know it."

"No it's mostly true!" James raised an eyebrow. "Don't look at me like that, it is. I would have asked but something came up."

"Lily, did someone hurt you? It was the Slytherins, wasn't it?" The look Lily gave him was enough confirmation for James. "Why didn't you go to a teacher?"

"Because it's out of their control. Besides, they haven't hurt me that bad. Name calling and tripping isn't a big deal."

"Damn it Lily, it's not out of their control!" He slammed his fist down, but regretted it instantly.

"They have bloody dark marks and don't give a damn about rules! If a teacher were to get involved they would kill me, you know that!" Lily's face was filled with defeat. There was nothing that could be done.

"Lils, I get it. We need to do something about it and I know just the way to do it." He had that mischievous glint in his eyes. The same glint that meant he was planning something that was going to land him in detention. Lily was not going to press him for answers; she knew he wouldn't tell anyway.

"James, I trust you, unfortunately, and this means that I'll let you get even. However, no one can be seriously hurt." James gave a wide grin, making Lily slightly regret her decision.

"I can work with that. Now, how about we go and see how Remus is?" Lily nodded her head. She got ready in no time at all. Sense it was a Sunday and uniforms were not required; Lily opted for fitted muggle jeans and a low cut, black top. She walked back into James's room, to see that he was struggling to put on his Beatles shirt and his pants were unbuttoned.

"Do you need help with that?" The sight would have been funny if he wasn't so injured.

"Er, yes please. If you could." James did not look embarrassed in the slightest.  
Lily sauntered up to him, removing his shirt from his loose hold. She pulled his shirt on, making sure her hands lightly trailed down his bare skin. Lily slowly zipped and buttoned his pants, making sure she let her hands linger.

"There, all better." Her voice was lower than a whisper. James shivered slightly, making Lily smile. She held power over him; this was excellent. With that cheerful thought, Lily marched out the door with James trailing behind her.

"Er, Lily, what time is it?" Oddly, the hall was completely empty.

"I'm not sure." Lily turned to a portrait of a little girl flying a kite. "Excuse me, do you happen to have the time?"

"It is a quarter past seven, miss." The little girl said.

"Thank you." Lily said, politely.

"Blimey, no sleep again." James chuckled, shaking his head.

"We'll get some good sleep eventually, after the war." Lily wished she could take it back. Always at the back of everyone's mind, but never spoken. Voldemort had been recruiting followers rapidly to take over the wizarding world. Meanwhile, those who were resisting Voldemort had no way to rally. Sure, becoming an Auror could help, but there were whispers that the Ministry had been infiltrated. Lily wanted to help in anyway she could, even if it meant an early grave.

"Lily, are you still with me?" James clapped his hands, startling her.

"Oh, sorry. I was just thinking."

"About the war?" Lily nodded her head, looking sheepish. "Are you scared?"

"Terrified."

"Me to, but I think that we can overcome this. We just need to stick together." James gently squeezed her hand. The Hospital Wing was in sight.

"Should you go in first? That way Remus has some more time." Lily was very nervous. She didn't want to hurt Remus.

"That's probably best." Lily pulled open the door and let James stride in.  
Remus was in the cot closest to Madam Pomfrey's office. For once, his bed was not covered by curtains. Poor Remus was covered in bandages. It would be two days until he could leave. Sirius was at the right side of Remus's bed, clutching his hand. Lily walked closer behind James, until she could make out what they were saying.

"You did what you had to do." Remus said, comfortingly. However, he looked very near tears.

"No I could have found another way. Seeing you like this, Rem I wish it could have been me." Sirius cried, burying his face in the sheets.

"Siri, I got you to, so don't feel bad. I'm the monster, not you. Do you think he's in St. Mungos?" Lily could see tears trying to fall. She wanted to give him a hug.

"Moony, you have so little faith in me, but the lack of faith you have for yourself is upsetting." James said.

"James!" Sirius and Remus yelped. Relief filled Remus's face, along with disbelief from Sirius.

"I'm so sorry! I told you it was too dangerous to be with me!" Remus cried.

"It's always worth it for a friend." James smiled. Remus gave him a weak one in return. Sirius still looked shocked.

"You jammy prat! You were hurt and now you're standing here as if nothing happened." Sirius said.

"You have Lily here to thank for that." James said.

"I'll have to thank-wait, here?" Sirius gasped. James nodded, moving over. Lily gave the smallest of waves. Remus looked like he was going to spew.

"Hello. Sorry to intrude, but it's uh nice to see you." Lily said, uncomfortably. She felt so bad. All she wanted to do was clear things up, but she was going tongue-tied at the wrong moment.

"Why?" Sirius sputtered angrily, to James. He wouldn't even look at Lily. "She has no right seeing him like this!"

"Leave her alone! She helped me out!" James roared. Lily had a feeling he was trying to make his injuries sound minor for Remus's sake. Lily was surprised that Madam Pomfrey hadn't come out yet.

"So, we could have thanked her later. Just because you think you love her, doesn't give you the right to bring her to see Remus! We all decide that together." Sirius shouted.

"Enough!" Lily thundered. "I came here to see how you were Remus and to tell you that I have known for a long time. I think no less of you. You are still the Remus I know and you will always be my friend."

"Thank you Lily, that means a lot to me." Remus said, after a moment.

"She also knows about all of us. She had the right to know after what happened." James added, looking at his friends carefully. Lily hadn't seen Peter Pettigrew walk in, but he to was there. He was watching the scene unfold with an odd expression on his face.

"Sorry Lily." Sirius muttered, sheepishly. Lily thought he looked like a dog about to be scolded.

"Water under the bridge." Lily said, kindly. She quickly hugged Sirius.

"So, how about that match coming up against Ravenclaw?" Remus asked. That's what Lily loved about the marauders; it could be serious one moment and joking the next.

A few days later, James was sitting next to Lily at the breakfast table. Remus and Sirius sat across from them. James was reading The Daily Prophet, while eating a sausage.

"More disappearances." He said. Lily looked up over her book in surprise.

"This is the third time this week!" Lily gasped.

"He's getting stronger." Sirius sighed. James wished there was something he could do to help.

"Are you going to become Aurors?" Remus asked. James blinked at him in surprise. He always thought he would become one, but now it didn't seem like the best idea.

"I think so. I don't know what good it will do. It takes three years to pass training and by that time half of everyone we know could be dead." James murmured, solemnly.

"I don't think the Ministry is doing much good anyway. They're too divided." Lily added, darkly. James couldn't help but agree with her. He went to grab his glass, but found it stuck to the table. James tried to move his hand off of it, but found it stuck to. He could hear cries throughout The Great Hall. At least he wasn't the only one. In fact, it looked like everyone was stuck to something, even the Professors. Dumbledore didn't look too troubled. After waving his wand with his free hand, he promptly became unstuck. His blue eyes were twinkling with amusement. However, the other Professors did not share his view. McGonagall was free soon as well and she looked livid. James pitted those who her rage was going to be directed at.

"Potter, Lupin, Pettigrew, Black, what is the meaning of this!" McGonagall shouted, marching over to them.

"Professor, it wasn't us!" James said.

"Yes, for once it really wasn't." Remus added, earnestly.

"Honestly Minnie, I'm offended. This is an amateur prank. Did it cause a large problem? Was it flawless and impossible to get rid of? No." Sirius said, impatiently. He was right. Almost everyone knew the simple counter charm and those who didn't, were being assisted.

"If it wasn't you four, than who was it?" McGonagall asked.

"I'm not sure." James replied, truthfully. He would have to find out who.

"Very well; I will get to the bottom of this. And Mr. Black, 10 points from Gryffindor for your cheeky attitude." McGonagall said, sharply. She briskly walked away, looking for potential pranksters.

"Wow, more pranksters. I can barely handle you four." Lily joked.

"Don't worry darling. These kids shouldn't even be called pranksters. Probably a few brave first years, looking for a laugh." Sirius said. James still thought it was weird to be on the receiving end of a prank.

"It is nice to know people will continue when were gone." Remus said, continuing on his eggs.

"You're right Remus!" James yelled, starting several fellow Gryffindors.

"Pardon?" Remus asked. He was looking at James as if he said he was abandoning a life of magic to become a ballerina.

"These kids are going to want to continue when were gone. It is completely unfair to Hogwarts to let these pathetic pranks be their entertainment. We must find these kids and teach them our ways. Well, most of them. Don't want them to outshine us." James said, excitedly. He was beaming at each of his friends. Lily looked a bit wary, but this was out of her control. James hoped she was okay with it.

"James do you know how much trouble we are going to be in? McGonagall is going to murder us for "corrupting the youth." This is the most brilliant thing I have heard all day!" Sirius said, a twinkle in his stormy grey eyes.

"Are you serious?" Remus groaned. James laughed, it was funny how after 7 years, he still thought he could get out of this."No, I am!" Sirius huffed.

"Sirius, that joke got old in our first year." Remus laughed. James glanced at Lily, she seemed to be at war with herself.

"Well I can't stop you, so have fun. If McGonagall asked, I had no idea you were doing this." Lily said. James was so proud. She had the heart of a true marauder.

"That's a right bird!" Sirius said. Lily shot him an angry look, but James knew she wasn't really mad.

"Well, first thing we need to do is find out who pulled this prank." Remus said. The marauders huddled around him, getting down to business.

They were walking away from their NEWT level Herbology, not much closer to finding their culprits. James sighed, with Lily's help the search was narrowed, but they still had a long way to go. Right away, they could nock off every house but Gryffindor. Slytherins were too cunning to plan it and had no desire to amuse the school, Hufflepuffs were too nice to purposely annoy people, and Ravenclaws found pranking below them. These Gryffindors had to be below seventh year. Sirius thought it could be a few first years. He was probably right but James thought the younger houses were too timid to try something like this. He needed to talk to someone that was near the other side of the table. They could have seen something suspicious. As he walked away from the greenhouse, James spotted some 6th years walking toward it. In the group he found two familar faces. James gestured to Sirius and both  
grabbed the pair by the back of the robes.

"Silencio." Sirius whispered, successfully silencing the pair. Remus gaped at them, but followed them to the edge of the forest. Sirius reversed the spell.

"What in the name of Merlin's saggy testicles was that about?!" Peter yelled, shaking his black hair out of his eyes.

"Yeah, what the bloody hell were you thinking?" Jared shouted.

"We like dramatic effect." Sirius shrugged. James rolled his eyes, leave it to Sirius to cause a mess if things before they started.

"What Sirius means to say is that we are looking for the people who pulled the prank this morning." Remus corrected, raising his eyebrows at Sirius.

"So did you see anything suspicious?" James asked. Jared and Peter dropped their angry looks, laughing hysterically.

"Er, are you both ok?" Remus asked. Jared wiped the tears if mirth from his face.

"You kidnapped us to find out who did it?" Jared laughed. James scratched his head uncomfortably.

"Well, kidnapped is a strong word. I prefer borrowed without knowledge." Sirius said.

"You're all really thick, aren't you?" Peter chuckled, shaking his head in mock sadness.

"What?" James said, stupidly. He knew he was missing something, something important.

"It was us, duffers." Jared scoffed. James's jaw dropped.

"Come again?" James asked.

"We did it." Peter repeated, rolling his eyes.

"You all hadn't planed a prank in a while and it looked like the school needed a laugh." Jared said, shrugging his shoulders.

"So did you get caught?" Remus asked.

"Yep, McGonagall told us off and took 5 points." Peter said.

"You didn't get called down to her office, she told you off in the hall?" James wondered. Jared and Peter nodded.

"That's it? That is really sad. I got more points off for talking to McGonagall." Sirius said.

"You disrespected her." Remus said, nudging Sirius.

"When don't I?" Sirius said, nonchalantly.

"Why did you want to know?" Jared inquired.

"To put it bluntly, your prank sucked." Sirius said.

"We thought we could teach you all of our secrets." James added. Sirius glared at him. "I mean, some of our secrets."

"Hey, it wasn't meant to be great! We did the first thing we could think of and it was our first prank!" Jared said, defensively.

"Don't get your knickers in a twist, we're here to help. Do you want to know what our first prank was?" Sirius said.

"Not really." Peter said.

"It involved Snivellus, a hamster, and some muggle duck tape." Sirius said, a dreamy expression across his face.

"We got detention for a week and lost 100 points." Remus said, smiling slightly.

"That hamster was never the same again." James said, solemnly.

"Er right. So, if that's all, we're going to go back to class." Jared said, starting to walk away.

"No, class can wait. We need to plan. You're going to help us." Sirius said, grabbing Jared's arm. Jared had a silent conversation for a moment with Peter.

"Alright, what's the plan?" Jared asked, grinning.

"Gather round and listen closely." James said, the boys formed a circle, discussing their first corse of action. James even knew the perfect people to be on the receiving end.

"Remind me why we're in the Slytherin common room." Jared whispered.

"I told you, Snivellus gets it as a test." Sirius said. James felt really guily. He wouldn't participate in pranking Snape, but he was going to watch. James only hoped Lily wasn't going to be upset.

"Remus, hand Jared the glitter." Sirius said. "Go crazy."

"Sirius, this is a stupid idea." Peter said.

"This is genius, your 6th year mind just can't comprehend it. Now start rubbing on the fish oil." Sirius commanded.

"Where did you want these ink filled balloons?" Jared asked.

"Oh, I have a special idea for these." Sirius said, evilly.

"I'm just going to wait outside." James said, wearily. He quickly closed Snape's door and crept out of the common room. Maybe Lily wouldn't blame him if he wasn't there. He couldn't tolerate watching either. Not humiliating Snape was like an itch he couldn't scratch. Sirius, Remus, Peter, and Jared crept out some time later, each with a wide grin on their face.

"Do I want to know what's going to happen?" James sighed.

"Nope." Remus said, giving James a sympathetic smile.

"Now, onto the main event." James said. The 5 boys rushed out of the hallway, ready to put on a show.

"Morning James, Remus, Peter, Jared, and Sirius. My, looking guilty, aren't we?" Lily said, flipping her long, red hair over he shoulder.

"We'd have to feel bad to be guilty. I for one am feeling great." Sirius said cheerily.

"I feel bad." James said.

"Kiss up." Sirius snorted.

"Am not!" James growled. Lily squeezed his shoulder comfortingly. She always made him feel better.

"Quiet, the shows about to start." Jared said. Lily glanced at the Slytherin table; nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Except for Snape, whose black hair had silver specks of glitter in it and the strong smell of fish. Lily didn't want to know what happened earlier. Just as she was going back to her breakfast, a yelp sounded in the hall. There were 8 Slytherins struggling in their chairs.

"What is going on?" Lily wondered, trying to hide her amusement.

"Never underestimate muggle super glue. Jared and Peter had the right idea with sticking people to stuff. However this, with some added charms, will not come off." Sirius laughed.

"Its only on the chairs though, no skin." Remus said, quickly.

A brown rat darted across the Slytherin table. Screams echoed across the Great Hall. The rat stopped in front of the glued Slytherins. Suddenly, a huge 10 foot snake appeared on the table and ate the rat.

"That was Pettigrew, wasn't it?" Lily gasped.

"Relax, he's fine." Remus said, waving his hand impatiently. Lily smelled smoke coming from the Slytherin table. Some of the glued group was crying out. The Slytherins she could see, has smoking pants. A huge bang sounded, fireworks were ripping through their pants. Each firework made an obscene gesture in the air.

"Wow, those are wet start fireworks. How did you get the water in their pants?" Lily laughed. James just gripped her shoulder with an odd smile on his face. Once the last firework sounded, the 8 Slytherins looked shaken up. The Professors hurried forward to try and free them. Nothing worked, the Slytherins ended up red faced and pants less. McGonagall came rushing toward the marauders, with a murderous look on her face.

"You 5, in my office, now!" She barked.

"Why do you think it was us?" Jared inquired.

"You were all missing from class yesterday and suddenly there is a large commotion. It doesn't take Dumbledore to put the pieces together." McGonagall sighed. The boys got up, trying hard to look ashamed. As they walked away, Lily couldn't help but grin. This was going to be a great day.

**Hope you enjoyed. Now please review. You know you want to :) **


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